Well, there's been rumors over the past several years that Comcast's TV service will be going all IP (https://www.lightreading.com/video/ip-video/comcast-may-go-all-ip-by-end-of-year-andndash-rumor/d/d-id/731651), and while I knew this was going to happen eventually, I never thought it would be so soon! Looks like I'll finally have to give up my legacy DVR and STBs for an X1 system now. :(
Comcast will now be transitioning to a (mostly) IP-based TV service
By Ima Phulenue, FarceVideo - April 1, 2023
https://www.farcevideo.com/comcast-getting-ready-to-move-to-IPTVquote:Comcast announced today that it will be greatly speeding up its transition to a mostly IP-based TV service that will eventually replace its traditional linear video product.
With Comcast's popular X1 platform already IP-capable, it says it plans to only provide a relatively small number of QAM-based, basic tier, linear TV channels in standard definition to support existing non-IP-capable DTAs and the diminishing number of older legacy set-top boxes.
Comcast's IP-based Xfinity Stream TV app has also been available for several years now for use on many popular streaming devices including Xfinity Flex, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, newer-model Samsung, LG and Sony smart TVs plus the new "XClass" TVs. All these IP-based platforms already support Xfinity-on-Demand and Cloud DVR capability.
The company says it expects to begin transitioning select markets in the next few months with plans to complete the IP-based transition across its entire footprint by the middle of next year. It said the move from linear video to IPTV will allow for continued spectrum reclamation for more network capacity for its current Gigabit high-speed internet offerings and Comcast’s continued efforts to evolve its entire network to 10G. It will also help achieve long-term reductions to operating expenses through fewer calls to its customer service representatives and fewer truck rolls for in-home installations and repairs.
“Our transition to a mostly IP-based TV service will enable us to reclaim spectrum in our network needed to continue to expand the capabilities and speeds of our core high speed data product and provide the communities we serve with the fastest and most reliable internet service,” said Charlie Herrin, President, Technology and Product, Experience at Comcast Cable, in a statement. “This is even more critical now, with the tremendous increase in customers working from home.”
Comcast said that more than 90% of the homes passed by their network currently have access to gigabit broadband speeds.
“We continue to make significant investments in deploying fiber deeper and closer to our customers to not only enhance reliability, speed and performance, but lay the groundwork for the increased speeds of the future,” said Herrin. “The digital needs of our residential and business customers are advancing rapidly, and we are actively working to not only meet but exceed those needs by creating a fast and reliable network that will support next generation technology.”
Comcast says that for several years now, all new subscribers to its TV service have been provided with new, IP-capable X1-based STBs and that 80% of their TV service subscribers are already on the X1 platform. A special program to exchange older model, non-IP-capable, STBs in existing customers' homes with new ones will be announced next month. In order to encourage subscribers with older model STBs to trade-in their equipment early on, Comcast says it would waive the rental fees on any newer STBs for 1 year.
To further facilitate this, Comcast has again partnered with UPS to allow customers to easily exchange their older equipment for new ones at their nearest UPS Store location, where the latest X1-based STBs will be stocked, extending the existing equipment return program that was established with UPS back in 2014. (Customers can visit https://www.theupsstore.com/tools/find-a-store to find a UPS Store near them.)
Comcast also said it eventually plans to limit the few remaining linear TV channels to those networks owned by its NBC Universal division, including NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, Telemundo, Universal Kids and Cozi.
Comcast isn’t the first U.S. cable operator to switch to an IP-based alternative for its traditional MVPD service. In 2021, Cable One launched its "Sparklight TV" service and WideOpenWest launched its "WOW! tv+" service. It’s a move that more and more traditional video distributors are taking in response to the rising costs and diminishing demands for traditional linear video service.
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